THAT PRETTY PRINCESS WARRIOR
by Abhishka
Summary: Plot by DIvyaa2612... Tasha lovers, do peep inside...


THAT PRETTY PRINCESS WARRIOR

 **A/N: Sorry in advance for the grammatical mistakes.**

 **Background: Abhijeet and Tarika are married and have a 5 year old daughter, Aditi.**

The past few days had been extremely tiresome. The CID officers as well as the Forensic Department hadn't had a moment of peace because of a brutal serial killer on the loose. Yesterday night, finally they had been able to nail him down and put him in a cage. And thanks to DIG sir, the entire team was now on a two days leave with the regular cases being looked after the Special Bureau. Tarika was just thinking of all this while cooking the breakfast in the kitchen when the clock chiming seven caught her attention. She needed to wake her husband. So she made her way towards their bedroom. She softly opened the door and frowned to find her husband fully awake and still lying on the bed. It was quite unusual of him, she thought. Suddenly she heard the fluttering of papers and looked toward the calendar which was making the sound. That's when the date caught her attention. IT WAS TASHA'S DEATH ANNIVERSARY. A silent "Ohh" came out of her mouth.

Tarika: "Abhi…"

Abhijeet came out of his trance and looked at her blankly for a while. Then suddenly he realized that she was here to wake him up.

Abhijeet: (getting up) "Tum kab aayi?"

Tarika: "Bas abhi abhi… Tum fresh ho jao… Mai nashta lagati hu…."

Abhijeet: "Nahi… Mujhe bhook nahi hai… Adu kaha hai?"

Tarika: "School gayi hai… Aaj Saturday hai toh 11 baje tak aa jayegi…"

Abhijeet nodded and went to the washroom to freshen up. Tarika returned to the hall and stood in front of the team photo frame. There was Tasha, smiling fully, looking pretty excited. A single tear made its way down her cheek. Tarika brushed it off thinking that right now, it was her husband who needed her support. She just afford to fall apart. Even after so many years, that guilt ripped his heart into pieces. Though it had never been his fault. But still…

Abhijeet entered the hall and smelled the aroma of his personal favourite coffee. He found Tarika arranging breakfast for two on the table.

Abhijeet: (sighing) "Maine kaha tha na ki mujhe bhook nahi hai…"

Tarika: (smilingly) "Jaanti hu par mujhe toh bohot bhook lagi hai aur tumhe pata hai ki mujhe akele khana nahi pasand… Toh please… Mujhe company dene ke liye hi sahi…"

Tarika looked towards him with pleading eyes which Abhijeet couldn't resist. He sat down at the table and that's when he noticed the pastry near his plate.

Abhijeet: (confused) "Yeh pastry kaha se aayi?"

Tarika: (giggling) "Rishwat se."

Abhijeet: "Aain! Matlab?"

Tarika: "Kal raat ghar aate waqt kharidi thi maine… Lab se nikalte waqt Kaaki ka phone aaya ye batate huye ki humari beti hum dono se bohot naraaz hai kyuki pichle kuch dino me case ke chalte humne usse do minute baat bhi nahi ki hai… Toh madam ka muh phula hua hai aur unhone khana khane se bhi inkaar kar diya hai… Toh bas use manane ke liye kuch na kuch toh karna hi tha… Aur tumhari tarah uska weak point bhi pastries hai…. Toh yahi sochkar lekar aayi thi… Shukar manao maine tumhare liye bachakar rakhi hai… Use bhanak bhi lagti na toh yeh kab gul ho jaati pata bhi nahi chalta…"

A ghost of a smile lingered on his lips which gave her heart a bit sooth.

Abhijeet: "Aaj tak na kabhi humne rishwat li na di… Par beti ke liye yeh sab bhi karna pad raha hai…."

Tarika: "There's always a first time for everything."

Both of them chuckled at it. Tarika tried to keep his attention towards her talk during the rest of the time of their breakfast. Though not fully, he paid attention to her talks. After finishing the breakfast, Tarika cleared the table while Abhijeet went to stand at the window. Tarika came out to find him there. She thought something and went to him.

Tarika: "Abhi…"

Abhijeet: (turning towards her) "Hmmm…"

Tarika: "Aaj time hai toh thodhi gardening kar le? Mujhe toh yaad bhi nahi humne aakhri baar ek saath gardening kab ki thi…."

Abhijeet just stared at her for a while. How much effort she was putting to keep his mind off Tasha. He was really lucky to have her as his wife.

Abhijeet: (with a light smile) "Haan… Chalo…"

Both of them went out into the garden that spread in their backyard. It had been their twin efforts that the garden bloomed so well. They made a habit to water it at least once in a week themselves. Though Kaaki took great care of it on most days they both loved to do something themselves as they cared for it like their second child. Both of them took the snippers and set to work by snipping out the overgrown plants. Time seemed to fly away there. Once they were done with that, Abhijeet connected the pipe to the tap and started watering the plants. Tarika stood watching him at it. Suddenly a naughty thought popped in her mind. She went and took the pipe from his hands.

Tarika: "Lao… Baaki ke plants ko mai paani deti hu… (after few moments) Abhijeet… Tum nahakar aaye ho kya?"

Abhijeet: (confused) "Haan… Kyu?"

Tarika: "Nahi… woh… lag nahi raha ki tum nahakar aaye ho…"

Abhijeet: (checking himself) "Achha… toh kya ab mai phirse nahane jaau?"

Tarika: (smiling naughtily) "Jaane ki kya jarurat hai… Yahi naha lo…"

Saying this, she turned the pipe towards him. He tried to save himself but he was already drenched. Now both of them were trying to get hold of that pipe. Abhijeet succeeded and now it was Tarika's turn to get drenched. Both were playing with it for a while and laughing whole – heartedly. Finally they brought it to a halt, closed the tap and went inside to change. Both of them were having a constant smile on their face. Abhijeet went first and then Tarika. After changing, she came into the hall to find him sitting on the sofa with an album in his hands. He was staring at a photo which had Tasha with the two of them. She just went and sat beside him silently, clutching his arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

Aditi entered the house as the main door was open. She had got down from the bus at the colony entrance and had searched for her mother who had promised to be there to pick her up. On not finding her, she had made her way to her house alone. She entered to find her parents sitting together on the sofa with an album in her father's hands. She went near them and was a bit shocked to find tears sliding down their cheeks. She peeped into the album to find them and an unknown face. She again looked at them.

Aditi: (softly) "Mamma… Papa…"

Abhijeet and Tarika almost jumped at her voice. Man, they had lost track of time completely. They hastily cleared the eyes but knew that she had already seen those water droplets.

Aditi: "Kya hua? Aap ro kyu rahe ho? Aur yeh aunty kaun hai photo me?"

Abhijeet picked her up and settled her in his lap.

Abhijeet: "Pehle aap batao ki aap kab aaye?"

Aditi: "Bas thodi der pehle… Woh Mamma ne kaha tha ki woh mujhe gate par lene aayengi aur bus se utarne ke baad maine unhe dhunda bhi par woh nahi thi toh mai ghar aa gayi…"

Tarika: "So sorry bacche… Mamma's very sorry… Woh mera ghadi ki taraf dhyaan hi nahi raha…"

Aditi: "Koi baat nahi Mamma… Aapne bataya nahi yeh aunty kaun hai? Aur aap unhe dekhkar ro kyu rahe the?"

Abhijeet and Tarika looked at each other and smiled. A downright cop. Nothing could divert her mind.

Abhijeet: (caressing her hair) "Yeh na Papa aur Mamma ki sabse achhi dost thi… Tasha aunty…..Humare saath hi kaam karti thi… aur ek din ( his voice cracked) kaam karte – karte shahid ho gayi…"

Aditi: "Shahid matlab?"

Tarika: "Desh ke liye kaam karte waqt mar jaana matlab shahid hona hota hai…"

Aditi: "Oh… Desh ke liye kaam karna matlab bohot achha kaam hota hai na?"

Abhijeet: "Haan beta… bohot mahan kaam hota hai…"

Aditi: "Toh matlab Tasha aunty ab star angel ban gayi hogi na?"

Tarika: "Star angel?"

Aditi: (excitedly) "Haan… Maine na Daya chachu se puchha tha ki marne ke baad kya hota hai, toh unhone kaha ki jo log achhe kaam karte hai unhe marne ke baad God star angel bana dete hai aur jo log bure kaam karte hai unhe God punish karte hai… Ab Tasha aunty ne achhe kaam kiye hai toh God ne unhe star angel hi banaya hoga na taaki woh jab chahe tab apne loved ones ko dekh sake… Hai na?"

Tarika: "Haan bilkul…"

Saying this, she pecked a loving kiss on her daughter's forehead. She went to the kitchen to take care of their lunch or to be frank, to hide her tears from her daughter.

Aditi: (turning towards her father) "Papa… Tasha aunty ke baare me batao na…"

Abhijeet: "Tasha aunty bohot brave thi… Woh kisi bhi cheez se nahi darti thi… Aur (twitching her nose) aapki tarah sharati bhi thi… Pata hai… Kai baar Vivek uncle ke milkar woh Freddy uncle ko khub chidaya karti thi…"

Aditi: "Papa… Woh na mai ek aapke kamre me aayi thi aur aapki dairy khuli thi… Toh maine just usme dekha toh aapne ek poetry likhi thi 'That Pretty Princess Warrior' karke… Woh kya Tasha aunty ke baare thi?"

Abhijeet: (sighing sadly) "Haan beta, woh Tasha aunty ke baare me hi thi…"

Aditi: "Sunao na Papa… Please…."

Abhijeet smiled tearily at his daughter's cuteness. Aditi rested her head on her father's chest while Abhijeet started narrating it -

" _Here's the story of That Pretty Princess Warrior_

 _An idol who is, to her inferior as well as superior_

 _Engulfed in elegance, she was a perfect beauty_

 _An unmatchable candidate, she was for her duty_

 _Her chirpy voice, her naughty smirks_

 _She ingulfed the place with her childish quirks_

 _Even then she was, way too mature_

 _The only person with whom I felt the most secure_

 _And then the day came, when the odds were not in her favour_

 _A day that stole her life and our smiles forever_

 _Even in her last moments how valiantly she fought_

 _A lesson of courage and bravery; to everyone she taught_

 _It all happened in front of my eyes_

 _Bearing the guilt of her death, my heart still cries_

 _Even after so many years, she holds a special place in our heart_

 _For us, she is an inseparable part_

 _This is the story of That Pretty Princess Warrior_

 _An idol she will always be, for us and for others."_

Aditi didn't know why, but had tears in her eyes….

Abhijeet was just once again travelling through his dearest colleague – no, she was really more than a colleague to him – journey…

Tarika was shedding, missing her first best friend from the team….

While Tasha was smiling contently from the photo, for having such a family who loved her even after so many years….

 **I hope I haven't made a total mess of your plot, Divya… But this was all I could come up with… Hope you all like it… Please R and R…**

 **Thankyou!**


End file.
